Epic Cofounder: Microsoft Is Moving Against PC Gamers

Epic Cofounder: Microsoft Is Moving Against PC Gamers

Microsoft is hailing its Universal Windows Platform initiative as the next great thing in the evolution of gaming, but Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney believes it to be the greatest threat PC gaming ever faced.

Epic is of Microsoft's most prominent partners in the gaming industry, but that didn't stop Sweeny from taking to The Guardian to thrash the UWP. Epic's CEO believes that the true motive behind UWP is to build a "closed platform-within-a-platform into Windows 10" as a way to close down and control the entire PC gaming ecosystem.

"Here, Microsoft is moving against the entire PC industry – including consumers (and gamers in particular), software developers such as Epic Games, publishers like EA and Activision, and distributors like Valve and Good Old Games," said Sweeney blatantly.

The problem is that Windows 10 blocks all UWP applications unless they are installed from Microsoft's app store. Sweeney argues that Microsoft is "structuring its operating system to advantage its own store while unfairly disadvantaging competing app stores, as well as developers and publishers who distribute games directly to their customers."

Sweeney asked Microsoft to open up the platform by allowing third party UWP applications to run on Windows 10 freely and allowing companies such as Valve to run their own UWP app stores. Otherwise, "PC UWP can, should, must and will, die as a result of industry backlash."

VIA:The Guardian